Nuclear energy could provide up to 10% of global electricity supply by 2050 – roughly doubling today’s 380 GW capacity to 750 GW – but expansion only makes economic sense in a limited number of countries, a report by the London, UK-based Energy Transitions Commission thinktank has said.

The report, ‘The Role of Nuclear in the Energy Transition: Complementary but Limited’, said surging power demand from AI data centres and energy security fears sharpened by the Russia-Ukraine war and the Strait of Hormuz crisis have revived interest in nuclear power.

According to the report, nuclear power will play a role in decarbonising energy systems, but a more modest one than some assessments assume. The report examines where nuclear makes economic sense and where it does not.